சிற்பங்கள் அணிசெய்யும் பொன்மார் சக்திபுரீஸ்வரர்

காஞ்சிபுரம் மாவட்டம், திருப்போரூர் வட்டத்தில் வயல்கள் சூழ்ந்த இயற்கை சூழலில் அமைந்துள்ள ஊர் பொன்மார்! இத்தலத்தில் கோயில் கொண்டு எழுந்தருளி அருள்பாலிக்கிறார் சக்திபுரீஸ்வரி உடனாய சக்திபுரீஸ்வர்!

கிழக்கு நோக்கிய திருக்கோயிலின் வடக்குப் பகுதியில் அல்லி மலர்கள் மலர்ந்திருக்கும் அழகிய திருக்குளம் உள்ளது. இந்த திருக்கோயில் கருவறை, அர்த்த மண்டபம், முக மண்டபத்துடன் காட்சி தருகிறது.

கருவறைக்கு முன்பாக முக மண்டபத்தில் இடதுபுறம் சிரசை சற்றே தாழ்த்திய அழகிய விநாயகரைக் காணலாம். பக்தர்களின் குறை கேட்டு அருள்புரியும் பாவனையில் அமைந்துள்ளார். இடது புறத்தில் மயில்வாகனனாகக் காட்சித் தருகிறார் முருகப்பெருமான்.

முன் மண்டபத்தில் தெற்கு நோக்கி அம்பாள் சந்நிதி அமைந்துள்ளது. மேற்கரங்களில் அங்குசம்- பாசம் தாங்கி, கீழிரு கரங்களில் அபய- வரத முத்திரைத் தாங்கி அருள்புரிகிறார் சக்திபுரீஸ்வரி.

கருவறையில் இறைவன் லிங்கத் திருமேனியுடன் காட்சி அளித்து அருள் வழங்குகின்றார். கருவறையின் வெளிப்புறச்சுவர் சிற்பக் களஞ்சியமாக விளங்குகிறது. அடித்தளப்பகுதியில் (அதிட்டானம்) விருத்த குமுதம், கபோதகம் என்ற அமைப்புகளுடன் விளங்குகிறது. விநாயகர், யோக நரசிம்மர், பைரவர், பூதகணம், வல்லபையுடன் கணபதி, நடராஜர், திருபுராந்தகர் போன்ற சிறு சிற்பங்கள் காணப்படுவது அக்கால சிற்பிகளின் கலைத்திறனை எடுத்து காட்டுகிறது.

முகமண்டபத்தில் நடனமாடும் பிள்ளையார், மகிஷாசுரமர்த்தினி, ராமர், ஆஞ்சநேயர், லிங்கத்தின் மீது பால்சொரியும் பசு, விஜயநகர மன்னர்களின் அரச முத்திரையான கண்டபேருண்ட பறவை சிற்பம் போன்றவை புடைப்புச் சிற்பங்களாக அழகு செய்கின்றன.

இக்கோயிலில் காணப்படும் விஜயநகர மன்னர் சதாசிவராயர் கல்வெட்டின் மூலம் இவ்வூர், தியாகவினோத நல்லூர் எனவும் பொன்மாறு என்றும் அழைக்கப்பட்டதாகத் தெரிகிறது. இங்கு வீரபத்திர நாயனார் என்ற கோயிலும் இருந்ததை கல்வெட்டின் மூலம் அறியமுடிகிறது. அந்தக் கோயிலுக்கான திருப்பணிகளை பொன்மார் சக்திபுரீஸ்வரர் அறக்கட்டளையினர் மேற்கொண்டு வருகின்றனர். இத்திருப்பணியில் பக்தர்கள் பங்கு கொண்டு பலன் பெறலாம்.

மகா சிவராத்திரி அன்று (17.02.2015) அன்று கணபதி ஹோமம், ருத்ர பாராயணம், 108 சங்காபிஷேகம், அலங்காரம், தீபாராதனை சிறப்பாக நடைபெறுகிறது.

சென்னை- தாம்பரம், தி.நகர் மற்றும் சைதாப்பேட்டையிலிருந்து நகர பேருந்துகள் பொன்மார் செல்கின்றன.

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- ஸ்ரீரங்கம் ஸ்ரீதரன்.

SC jolt for state in med admission malpractice case Yogita Rao,TNN | Feb 16, 2015, 05.13 AM IST

MUMBAI: In another setback to the Maharashtra government, the Supreme Court has dismissed its review petition against an order passed on September 2 last year. The apex court had ordered the state to pay a compensation of Rs 20 lakh each to 22 meritorious medical aspirants who were denied seats in private medical colleges during the admission process in 2012.

The government had failed to initiate action against the colleges that indulged in malpractices during the process. After the order on compensation was passed, the state filed a review petition, which was dismissed on February 12. Parents now plan to file a contempt of court case as the state failed to give them compensation as directed by the court.

The court observed: "We have considered the averments in the review petitions. Having regards to the facts and issues involved, in our opinion, no case for review is made out. There is no error apparent on the face of record. Hence the review petitions are dismissed". On September 2, 2014, the SC ruled that students cannot be given admissions due to the long lapse of time but the petitioners are certainly entitled to public law damages. The state was directed to pay the amount within a period of four weeks from the day of the order. It also observed that the state should identify the officers who are responsible and take appropriate action, including recovering the amount from them. Though the students had only demanded seats in their petition, the court took suo motu decision on compensating them for the loss of opportunity.

Class 12 students of Trichy in a fix over fixtures Harish Murali,TNN | Feb 16, 2015, 04.39 AM IST

TRICHY: When the cricket world cup fever is building up, students of Class 12 and their parents are a worried lot now as it may distract them from concentrating on their studies. Board examination for Class 12 begins on March 5 and ends on March 27.

India, the defending champion, will play three matches in this intervening period — against West Indies on March 6, Ireland on March 10 and Zimbabwe on March 14. Quarter-finals will be played on March 18, 19, 20 and 22, semi-finals on March 24 and 26 and the final on March 29. The world cup schedule and the board exams have put the students in a fix.

M Kesavan, a Class 12 student of a private school, was unable to focus on his preparations for the board examinations as high-flying India cruised to victory against arch-rival Pakistan in its first match.

"This is the worst time for the world cup to begin. Since it happens only once in four years I do not feel like missing it but I also have the responsibility to perform well in my examinations to get a seat in a good college. The cricket match is not allowing me to concentrate on my studies," says Kesavan.

Several students have already begun to argue with their parents to allow them to get at least a glimpse of the close encounters in the matches.

For their part, schools are making Class 12 students to sit in for extra hours and concentrate on studies and not get hooked to TV in watching matches.

M Asha, a school teacher at a government school in Manapparai, has been constantly urging her students to focus on studies and even have been making them to sit in school for extra hours than wasting time at home by watching television. Educationalists say that the education department for long has been maintaining a same schedule for examinations without any consultations.

Tamil Nadu Promoted Postgraduates Government Teachers Association founder president B Veman says that the education department has been maintaining the same time and schedule without prior consultation.

"The school education department has to look at all these factors and plan accordingly than putting the students in a difficult situation," he says.

However, many students stay focussed in their studies as they are well aware that it is the most important examination in their life, says Veman.

There are already several complaints from teachers in Srirangam that the distraction of by-election has made them to work more doubly for students who are going to take up board examinations.

Ever since the campaign began, several school activities were disrupted due to the bursting of crackers and cadres, said a school headmaster.

Watermelons make early appearance in Madurai

MADURAI: Water melons have started making an early appearance along the roadsides of the city, much to the joy of the people who are battling with the daytime heat as temperatures continue to rise steadily.

Roadside hawkers have hoarded the fruits along the roads in all the southern districts. In Palanganatham here, Karuppiah is happy with the sale of the fruits. "Last month I sold apples and other fruits, but with watermelons I am making a much better profit," he said. A kilogram of the fruit is priced at Rs 15 now, and may go down to about Rs 8 when the season picks up in late March and April," he said.

Watermelons do not require much tending and give a good yield with the minimal irrigation and never fail to bring good returns, according to farmers.

T Periyasamy, a farmer from the district, said there were times when they used to start planting the seeds in late December so that the creepers, which had a life of 70 to 90 days, started bearing fruits during the peak summer months, allowing them to make good money. "But now the climate remains hot almost all through the year and there is a demand for the fruit, so we try to cultivate throughout the year and hence the early fruits this season," he said.

Padmakumari, who was purchasing a fruit for Rs 50 at Ayyarbanglow, said the fruits coming in now had a lighter colour, but that did not matter. "Do you know that this wonder fruit has 92% water and just 8% sugar and is good for diabetes and blood pressure? It is good for elderly people too," she said.

Roadside vendors are also coming up with innovations like watermelon salad and water melon sarbath, which are a hit among the college students. "It helps me to watch my weight and even the white part is good for consumption. A plate of watermelon pieces costs just Rs 5 and my friends and I are great fans of the fruit," said S Saranya of Anna Nagar.

Internet addiction is hereditary: Doctors Aditi Gyanesh,TNN | Feb 16, 2015, 02.28 AM IST

LUDHIANA: Earlier hereditary problems were limited to diseases like diabetes, obesity, among others. But now a new problem called internet addiction has been added to the list.

According to city-based psychiatrists, the use of internet by parents would decide the addiction of the same in their children.

15-year-old Ayush has more than 300 friends on social networking site facebook. He not only chats with them, but also is curios to add people to his list - whom he doesn't even know or met in a party. "Some of his friends are his elder cousins' friends or random persons. I wonder what he might be chatting with them as they are 7-10 years elder to him. I was shocked to see when I received his friend request. It was only then I realized he is addicted to the internet and why he is always busy in his phone," said Shruti Seth, Ayush's mother.

However, she didn't take the issue lightly and approached a psychiatrist for professional help. When she narrated the problems about her son, the doctor's reply to her was an eye-opener. "Do you access internet in front of your child and are, too, addicted to it?" asked the doctor.

According to psychiatrists, out of every 10 parents, who come with their child regarding internet addiction, at least 7 of them are themselves addicted to the internet or social networks. They also said that parents are completely responsible for modeling of their kids and staying off the internet one of the important points for healthy parenting of a growing child.

Adding to this, Dr Anshu Gupta, child psychiatrist from Kitchlu Nagar, said: "Instead of talking to kids, I ask the parents about their internet habits. More the parents will be addicted to the internet, chances of children being addicted to internet will increase."

He added: "If they are using the internet in front of their children, then out of curiosity the child would also try to get into that. This leads to communication gap between family members and affects development of the child."

6 dental students booked for abetment of suicide Kautilya Singh | Feb 15, 2015, 10.17 PM IST

Dehradun: Six students from a private dental college in Rishikesh have been booked for abetment of suicide. On February 12, a 20-year-old dental student from the college ended her life by jumping from the fourth floor of her hostel building.

In her six-page suicide note, the second year BDS student wrote that some of her college mates had lodged a complaint against her with the management and that she was disappointed with the development. The girl's father, a resident of Moterawala area of Dehradun, on basis of the suicide note, filed a complaint at Rishikesh Kotwali. The police registered a case under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the IPC against six students of the institute.

Circle Officer, Rishikesh, Harbans Singh said, "An FIR has been lodged on the basis of a complaint received by the girl's father. We are probing the matter." He, however, did not reveal whether all six students complained about the girl and what was the nature of the complaint. "We are still probing and facts will come to the fore once the investigation gets over."

Evil of dowry prevalent, demand made after marriage counts too: SC

Demand for dowry can be made at any time and not necessarily before marriage, the Supreme Court has said while upholding the life term awarded to a man for poisoning and burning his wife to death in 1997.

A bench of justices M Y Eqbal and Pinaki Chandra Ghose rejected the plea that the accused did not demand any dowry before marriage and seeking it after tying the nuptial knot was out of question. Referring to an earlier judgement, it said the social evil of dowry is prevalent in Indian society and the defence that it was not sought before the marriage "does not hold water.

The demand for dowry can be made at any time and not necessarily before marriage." The apex court dismissed the plea of Uttarakhand native Bhim Singh and his family members noting that there was no missing link in the circumstantial evidence brought by the prosecution.

"There must be a chain of evidence so complete as not to leave any reasonable ground for the conclusion consistent with the innocence of the accused and must show that in all human probability the act must have been done by the accused.

"Whenever there is a break in the chain of circumstances, the accused is entitled to the benefit of doubt... there is no missing link in circumstantial evidence put forth by the prosecution, and hence the accused are not entitled to benefit of doubt," the bench said.

According to the prosecution, Bhim was married to Prema Devi in May, 1997. When she went to her in-laws' house after marriage, her husband and in-laws taunted and tortured her by saying that she had brought nothing in dowry, it said.

On September 26, 1997, Prema was administered some toxic substance due to which she died and later on she was burnt, it added.

The trial court had held Bhim and his brother guilty of offence 304-B (dowry death) of IPC and sentenced them to life, Section 498-A (cruelty) of IPC and Sections 3 & 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.